3 Replies - 1377 Views - Last Post: 20 June 2012 - 04:09 PM

Laptop Buying Advice - Help!

Posted 20 June 2012 - 03:39 PM

So I need to buy a new laptop and I'm having a tough time deciding between the Alienware M17x and Dell Precision M6600. I need this laptop for web development/programming, gaming, media(music and movies)and mobility. Since I need it for work and entertainment, a 17 inch screen fits my needs but I am aware that the Alienware 17 inch is on the heavier side of the spectrum which doesn't make it ideal to move around with it. Both these laptops fit my needs but which laptop do you reckon would be more reliable in the long run.
Appreciate the help

Re: Laptop Buying Advice - Help!

Posted 20 June 2012 - 03:54 PM

Well, I can't say between Dell and AlienWare, I haven't actually used either of their laptops before. I would suggest, assuming that you are actually putting a lot of money into this, something along the lines of this:

Though, it being an HP, I would also highly suggest purchasing a second 750GB SATA drive and placing that in the expansion slot, then setting the two drives up as a RAID1 (mirroring). That is the only problem I have had with HP products - The hard drives they come with are crap.

However, I have one still up and running like a beast that I purchased almost 5 years ago now, and I have dropped to the point of breaking one of the corners. Surprisingly it still is using the original hard drive as well...

Re: Laptop Buying Advice - Help!

Posted 20 June 2012 - 04:09 PM

Thanks for the HP suggestion, I'll take a look although I currently have a Dell that's been going strong for the past 5 years although recently there have been hardware failures and Graphics issues which is understandable hence I am edging for a Dell. In terms of specs, I will be going with most of the stock specs with the addition of either 8GB-12GB of 1600 MHZ RAM & either a SSD or Hybrid HDD and an i7. I think the Alienwares are getting some newer nVidia graphics cards and perhaps some revisions in the weeks to come. In terms of a graphics card all the nVidia options are fine by me. Initially I was considering the Sager NP9170 as it is cheaper and lighter than an Alienware but I am not sure about the build quality and support.